A stanchion is a sturdy upright post that provides support for various applications such as controlling the flow of people or construction related applications such as road signs. Typically these posts are of hollow tube construction so that the tops of the posts can be fitted with cassette belts, lanyards, ropes, chains or signs depending on the specific intended use of the post. Most indoor posts are mounted on a weighted base that typically consists of a disc shape weighing approximately fifteen pounds. Most outdoor posts are mounted on a tripod stand and can include a threaded center rod to anchor the post into the ground.
There are several problems with a post that is mounted on either a weighted base or a tripod stand. First, the weighted base or tripod stand is often a large diameter size such as between two and four feet, and therefore posts having weighted bases or stands take up a lot of space when they are in storage. Second, posts having either weighted bases or tripod stands tend to degrade quickly in their appearance by getting dinged or scratched from close contact with other posts while in storage in a closet, shelf or truck bed. Finally, since the weighted base or tripod stands are typically attached to the post itself using small threaded fasteners such as screws or locking pins, it is common for these threaded fasteners to become easily lost or damaged over time by dirt, debris or rust from environmental exposure at road construction sites.
What is desired, therefore, is a post which includes an internal weighted base with retractable legs that can be used in both indoor and outdoor applications. Such a post would be desirable because it would save space in storage and would allow the same number of posts to be stored in a closet or shelf instead of a larger storage room. Such a post would also be desirable because it would easy to deploy the legs by simply sliding a locking tab and allowing the legs to drop out the bottom through slots at the base of the post. Such a post would also be desirable when converted for storage by simply grabbing the legs together and pushing the post towards the ground to retract them inside the post.